This release presents key indicators on the incidence of use of information technology and innovation in Australian business, as collected by the 2007-08 Business Characteristics Survey (BCS).

Collection of these data using the BCS vehicle is part of the ABS' Integrated Business Characteristics Strategy (IBCS). This strategy integrates the collection and quality assurance of data required for input into the Business Longitudinal Database (BLD) and the production of point in time estimates for Business Use of Information Technology (BUIT), innovation and a broad range of other non-financial business characteristics. A key part of the IBCS is the production of annual BUIT and business innovation indicators, with a more detailed set of items for each of these topics collected every second year (i.e. in alternating years). The 2007-08 BCS collected detailed information relating to the use of information technology by Australian businesses.

STRUCTURE OF THIS RELEASE

There are two components to this release: summary information for IT and Innovation; and data cubes. The data cubes contain detailed tables for the data that underpins the tables, graphs and commentary included in the summary information sections.

DATA QUALITY

An important aim of the BCS is to release estimates for key indicators within 12 months of the reference date. While every effort has been made to ensure that the data included in this release are final, further quality assurance may result in some minor changes to estimates. If estimates are revised, the relevant data will be appropriately annotated in subsequent releases, please refer to Explanatory Note 24 for details.

Information provided in the Quality Declaration and Explanatory Notes must be taken into consideration when interpreting results, particularly if making comparisons to those reported for previous periods. The 2007-08 release contains outputs on an ANZSIC06 basis. Prior to the 2006-07 set of BCS releases, outputs were on an ANZSIC93 basis. As a consequence of this, estimates in this release are not directly comparable to those prior to 2006-07.

FUTURE RELEASES FROM THE 2007-08 BCS

More detailed and final estimates will be released later in 2009 via Business Use of Information Technology (cat. no. 8129.0) and Selected Characteristics of Australian Business (cat. no. 8167.0).

INQUIRIES

For further information about these and related statistics, contact Andrew Puljic on Perth (08) 9360 5229.

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